Man caught 'hanging out' near school blames loose shorts

Peter Hardwick
Reporter
Peter started in 1976 as apprentice typesetter/comp and has 32 years with The Chronicle in three stints (in between working/holidays in UK/Europe, Brisbane and Melbourne). Entered editorial from comp room in 1996.

A MAN whose private parts were hanging out of his pants as he pulled up outside a Toowoomba school has blamed "loose shorts".

A witness had been walking with his daughter, 8, outside The Glennie School about 12.30pm on Glennie Fair Day, March 12, when he saw a Magna sedan do a u-turn and stop, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

The witness looked inside the vehicle to see the man exposed, prompting him to shield his daughter from the view, police prosecutor Julia Wheaton told the court.

The witness photographed the car as it drove off.

Senior Constable Wheaton said when spoken to days later, the 64-year-old told police he wore loose shorts and no underpants and that he sometimes "pops out".

The accused, who pleaded guilty to a charge of "indecent act in any place to which the public is permitted", had a similar previous offence in 2000, Snr Const. Wheaton said.

His lawyer Shane Hough said his client instructed that the incident arose from a poor choice of clothing.

His client was medicated for a heart problem and at the time he had been holding on to stop himself from urinating and had in fact driven straight to a shopping centre to use a toilet, he said.

There was no "exhibitionism" or "gratification" to the incident, Mr Hough submitted.

His client was a non-drinker and non-smoker on a pension and had a good work record until he couldn't work any more.